2000-Year-Old Skull Of A Peruvian Warrior Proves That Advanced Surgery Was Done In Ancient Times

A US museum discovered a Peruvian warrior's skull. Based on their observation, it seemed that his skull was reinforced with metal.

This is one of the world's ancient examples of surgery that is ahead of its time. The experts at Oklahoma's Museum of Osteology believe that a 2,000-year-old skull in their collection belonged to a man who was injured during a battle.

After returning from battle, the soldier underwent surgery that involved the implantation of a metal piece to fix the fracture. Museum experts speculate that he survived.

A broken skull can cause disability or even death. The observers believe that Peruvian surgeons had no choice but to act, resulting in a miracle as they were able to set the metal to cover the damaged area.

This piece of evidence proves that even people in ancient times were capable of performing complex surgeries. Today, we are looking at the photo of the Peruvian warrior's skull shared by the Oklahoma museum on social media.

The museum doesn't have much background on this piece of evidence. However, they concluded that the soldier survived after the surgery.

If you look closely at the bone, you'll see that the metal piece was implanted tightly. Initially, the museum shared that it was part of their private collection.

But finally, it was shared with the public in 2020. Let's take a look at this groundbreaking discovery.

According to the Museum of Osteology, the elongation was made possible by the head binding practice that starts from a young age. It was a tradition that reflects the social status of different cultures.

Museum of Osteology

The owner of this skull survived through a procedure called trephination, which was discovered through bone remodeling. The practice was performed by nearly all ancient civilizations for various purposes.

The material used was not poured as molten metal. We do not know the composition of the alloy. The plate was used to help bind the broken bones. Although we can't guarantee that anesthesia was used, we do know many natural remedies existed for surgical procedures during this time period.Museum of Osteology

This image was shared back when the skull wasn't on display.

The surgery was successful, the museum experts say. The surgeons tightly fused the metal to the broken bone.

Museum of Osteology

Scientists believe that Peruvian surgeons created an unknown number of advanced surgeries to treat broken skulls.

Skull fractures were among the most common injuries in ancient times. This was due to the use of slingshots and other blunt weapons at the time.

Trephination and other surgeries included scraping of skull fragments without the use of anesthesia. Tulane University's John Verano explains that the ancient surgeons discovered that these procedures could save lives.

Evidence also suggests that trephination was not a procedure for increasing consciousness or rituals. It is commonly associated with patients who had serious head injuries.

The skull exhibited by the Museum of Osteology is among the examples of a Peruvian elongated skull. A study presented in Current Anthropology in 2018 describes skull elongation as a symbol likely representing privilege.

This practice was found among the Mayans and Huns. Other ancient groups around the world also engaged in such practices.